Insert for underfloor wiring ducts or the like



Sept. 22, 1931. H. F. Rl'cHARDsoN 1,824,51

INSERT FR UNDERFLOOR WIRING D UCTS OR THE LIKE @MMM Sept 22, 1931- H.- F. RICHARDSON 1,824,571

INSERT FOR UNDERFLOOR WIRING DUCTS 0R THE LIKE Filed May e, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 d K K.; l Wma/s. f

'- which Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED-STATES "FATENTOFFICE HENRY F. RICHARDSONQOF NORTHPORT', NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR VOIE` ONE-FOURTH TO HENRYl F. RICHARDSON, NOR'IIJI-IIEOR'I?, NEWT YORK, `ONE-FOTJ'R'JII TO ALLAN COGGESHALL'OF PLEASANTVILLE, NEW YORK, ONE-SIXTH'TO S; R. BRADLEY, OF

NYACK, NEWYORK, ONE-SIXTH TO A. lVLfCREGIER, OF ORANGEBURG, NEW AND ONE-SIXTH TO ALONZOr B. BRADLEY, OF NEW' YORK,` N. Y. e

Insiemi Fon. UNDERFLOOR WIRING Doors ORTH'E'IQIKE Application med Mey; c, `1927. [serieu No. 189,291. l

This invention relates to insert fixtures for use in connection with wiring conduit which is embedded beneath the surface of building floors and walls.`V A typical enampleof such of Richardson and CoggeshallNo. 1,530,200.

In such systems, the duct is generally covered over with a substantial layer of floor material such -as yconcrete `or f cement and Vwhen electrical connections are to be made with the wiring in the duct, the floor surface f v vFigure 2 1s a top ,plan view of the conduit is excavated to exposethe top lof the duct which is then cut throughto receive aditting, usually in the Vformof an adjustable bushing of cast metal which is set in placev on the conduit, with its top surface in registry with the floor surface, and afterward sealed by filling in the surrounding space with cement or other iioor material to restore the continuity of floor surface in a neat Such insert fit-f and workmanlike manner. tings have a readily removable cover plate which is removed at the time of introducing A primary object of the present invention is to provide a form of insert fitting which will greatly facilitate the introduction of Wiring cable through it and which will be adapted to conform with the dimensions and 1 shape of the conduit uponwhich itis tokbe seated. It may be stated in a preliminary way that these purposes are in general fulfilled by the adoption of an elongated or oval shape of insert, the major axis of the opening lying in the direction of the conduit run.

A further feature resides in the provision o f a bushing or neck which fits into a correspondingly formed opening in the top of the conduit and has a surrounding flange or rim which follows more or less closely the shape of the conduit. The penetration of the bushing into the conduit effectively centers the vides a construction which utilizes a relatively-large area of supporting surface on ythe conduit.

f An embodiment ef the fitting efe applied te a half round duct is shown by way of eX- ample in the accompanying' drawings, in

lFigure lis a central longitudinal section through' a section of conduit, with the insert ywithdrawingthel same.

and insert tting, with apart of the latter 'broken away to show the perforated conduit.

Figuref is a top plan view of the conduit and vinsert fitting, broken away. V

Figure n4e is a sideY elevation of the `insert fitting in place on'the conduit.

with the cover of the latter Figure 5 is 'a-transverse vertical sections through the duct and insert ittingvonI the line ,'5-{5'of'Figure 3with parts of the ftting'in vfull view. f e v the wiring so as to give access to the cables Figure 6; is a detail vertical section on the line 6 6 of Figure 3'. k

" Referring in detail tjov said drawings, a section `tof conduit isillustrated at 10, this conduit being for example offlbre or other suitlable construction andbeingillustrated in the present instance as 4of half-round, open botf 'tom construction; `It will be understood that an insert vfitting constructed in accordance with my present invention may be applied to theftop of the conduit eitherbefore or `after the i'oor material is filled in Aabove it and tha in the latter,l case the floor surface would be cut through to expose the top of the conduit in order to apply the insert fitting. l In either case, however, the top of the'coiiduit l0 will becut lout on an oval line, which may be conf' venientlyfdone by making two circular cuts 'as indicated by the dotand dash lines, shown in Figure 2, and thereafter removing the material` intervening between-the'two circles toA aline tangential with them at each side 4of the" opening.' Such a perforation is made to the 4dimensions of the neck or bushing'abovelre- "ferred to, such neck or'bushing portion of the fitting whereas the surrounding ange pro- 5 land 6. This neck portion-'11` is of a generally oval contour, in plan view,

with flat sides tangential to the circular ends,

and in order that it may conform with the l contour of the conduit 10, it is curved up- .5. wardly at the ends, as clearly seen in Figures 1, 4 and 5. The end walls of its apertures are convexly curved in the vertical plane of its major axis. The surrounding flange 12 follows more or less closely the contour of l the neck 11 but is laterally fiattened out along the sides, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, to enable the concrete or cement to give support to the fitting. The neck 11 and fiange 12 may be cast integral with each other and together 15. they constitute what may be termed the bed portion of the fitting. This bed portion furthermore is formed with bosses 13 which are bored and tapped to receive the shouldered levelling screws 14 upon which the floor plate frame 15 is seated (see Figures 4, 5 and 6). The shouldered levelling screws 14 may, for example, be four in number and the frame 15, as clearly shown in Figure 6, is provided at the corresponding points with perforated sockets 16 which fit over the levelling screw heads so that the latter are accessible through the perforations, for adjustment of the levelling screws by means of a screw driver or in some other suitable manner. The floor plate frame 15 has a stiffening fiange 17 extending around the inner periphery `on rthe lower surface and is furthermore provided in the present example with perforations through which retaining screws 18 are inserted, the latter being threaded in the tapped lugs 19 of the bed portion of the fitting, so that the frame 15 may be drawn tightly down upon the shouldered levelling screws 14 and securely held in good alignment with the floor surface to which it has been adjusted, The upper portion of the frame 15 has a periphvso facility than in the case of the previous circular inserts in which the diameter of the opening is necessarily less than the diameter of the conduit. Whereas the width of the opening in the present form of insert fitting is necessarily limited by the width of the conduit, the length of the opening may practically be made to meet the convenience of operation so that even in conduit of very small cross section the introduction and removal of cable through the insert fitting is much more easily accomplished than with the older type of fitting.

Many of the features of the present invention are, of course, applicable to the construction of insert fittings to be used with duct or conduit of other shapes than herein illustrated, it being understood that in any case the principle of centering and supporting the insert fitting contemplates the design of the centering and supporting bed portion to suit the shape of the duct.

I claim In combination, aip'erforated conduit wall, and an insert fitting comprising a centering portion adapted to enter in the conduit wall, and having a surrounding flange adapted t0 kseat on the conduit wall and extending laterally therefrom.

HENRY F. RICHARDSON.

eral fiange 20 and within this a fiat shoulder 21, to receive a washer 22 and the floor plate 23. The floor plate 23 may be drawn down 5 tightly upon the washer 22 by means of the screws 24 which pass through the floor plate and washer and into tapped portions of the frame 15. Floor plate 23 may be provided with one or more perforations 25, through which the cable or the wiring connection extends in the finished installation.

Referring to Figure 1, which illustrates the drawings of a cable through the insert fitting, it will be observed that the inner surface of the neck 11 at each end is rounded off on a gradual curve conforming more or less with the natural line of curvature of the cable. The fioor plate 23, as will be understood, is removed yat the time the cable is being inserted or withdrawn. The oval form ofthe opening, with its major axis extending in the direction of the conduit run, provides much greater accessibility to the work and obviously the drawing or fishing of the cable is accomplished with much greater 

